|
|
 |
 |
|
THE LIFE OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS MOTHER
EARLY YEARS
Somdej Phra Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani, Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother, was born into a goldsmith's family in Nonthaburi Province on 21 October 1900, and given the name Sangwan.
This was during the long reign of King Rama V (1868 - 1910) in which His Majesty led Thai society into the modern age through his widespread reforms. Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother lost her father when she was very young. She grew up with her mother and relatives in the community around Wat Anongkarm Temple in Thonburi, across the river from the capital of Bangkok.
EDUCATION
She was among the first generation of Thai women given the opportunity of a modern education. As a child she first learned to read and write with her mother before regular schooling. She later attended nursing school at Siriraj Royal Medical College and graduated with her nursing certificate in 1916. A year later the young Miss Sangwan was selected to further her nursing studies in the United States of America. Between 1917 and 1920, she took courses in preparation for advanced nursing studies. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
THE MAHIDOL FAMILY
During her studies in the USA she met His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol, a son of His Majesty King Rama V and Queen Savang Vadhana. The couple were married by the Prince's brother, King Rama VI in a royal wedding ceremony on 10 September 1920 at Srapatum Palace, Bangkok.
Upon marriage, the couple took up residence in the United States of America where His Royal Highness resumed his studies in Public Health at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1921 Her Royal Highness took up pre-nursing studies at Simmons College and summer courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on public health in schools before devoting her time to the royal couple's eldest child and only daughter - Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Kromluang Naradhivas Rajanagarindra, born in England in 1923. Two sons soon followed: His Majesty King Ananda Mahidol born in Germany in 1925, and His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej in the United States of America in 1927.
In June 1928, His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol completed medical studies at Harvard University. Determined to use his modern medical knowledge for the good of the people, he brought his family back to Thailand. In May 1929, the Prince took an assignment as a resident physician at McCormick Hospital in the northern province of Chiang Mai. The Princess remained in Bangkok to take care of the children while preparing for the family to move north to live together.
But the plan did not materialise. On September 24, 1929, Prince Mahidol passed away. Her Royal Highness the Princes Mother, who was then age 29, had to assume the responsibilities of both parents to the three royal children, while following her husband's ideal of working for the poor and the underprivileged to the best of her ability. |
| |
|
|
|
|
A ROYAL MOTHER
Out of concern for the educational future of her children and the health of her older son, in 1933, Her Royal Highness and her children relocated to Lausanne, Switzerland.
Their life again faced major change in 1935, when His Majesty King Rama VII abdicated. The Royal Thai Government invited Her Royal Highness' nine-year-old elder son to become King Rama VIII of the Chakri Dynasty, the first Thai king to ascend the throne under the new constitutional monarchy. The Princess Mother undertook prime responsibility to care for the young king during the sensitive period of political transition in Thai society. She shared a constructive part in defining the duty and role of the constitutional monarchy in Thailand.
When her younger son ascended the throne in 1946 at the age of 18, upon the death of his brother, Her Royal Highness again provided excellent care for the new monarch. The two royal sons became exemplary kings. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the longest reigning king in Thai history, is a constitutional monarch much honoured and admired by foreign states, and much beloved an highly respected by the Thai people.
|
| |
|
DEVELOPMENT WORKER
Following the royal wedding of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1950, the Princess Mother moved to an apartment in Lausanne. , so the newly married couple could reside in Villa Vadhana during the King's period of studies in Switzerland. Even following her return home to Thailand, she regularly visited her residence in Switzerland to rest and recuperate from her periods of work in rural Thailand.
Whenever the Princess Mother returned home to Thailand, she visited people and government workers in remote regions. She worked ceaselessly from 1964 until her death in 1995. She initiated projects throughout the country in education, medical care for the lives of the poor and underprivileged in remote areas.
Those who knew the Princess Mother or worked on projects she started all agreed that she was direct and honest, strong, intelligent, generous and full of humanitarian concerns. She chose to live a life of simplicity, always enjoying natural beauty. She liked to occupy herself at all times, with embroidery, gardening, flower pressing, and porcelain painting. Her life and activities gave clear evidence of her conviction that time should be used productively. She also had a natural flair for learning in many fields, and more commendably, applied her knowledge to practical situations to help the underprivileged.
Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother passed away on 18 July 1995. But the projects she started for the benefit of the people continue. Her son, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej; her daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Kromluang Naradhivas Rajanagarindra; and her granddaughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, carry on the work she initiated. |
| |
|
|
 |
|
The Princess Mother was born into a commoner's family and lived through five reigns (Rama V to Rama IX) amid immense social transformations, major events and changing situations that brought her a most exalted social status: the Mother of two kings. She consistently used her high status to work for the good of the Thai people, who honoured her with the titles, 'Mother of Rural Medical Care' and 'Mother of Social Welfare'.
In the year 2000, on the occasion of the centenary of Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother's birth, a proclamation of UNESCO in their General Assembly on November 16, 1999, resolved to honour Somdej Phra Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani as a world leader in public service in the fields of education, applied science, and human, social and environmental development.
Related tourism highlights
Princess Mother Commemorative Hall
Please click to view |
| |
|
|
FOLLOWING THE TRAIL OF COMPASSION
The beloved mother of the King, the Princess Mother had occasionally undertaken royal activities on the behalf of her son, such as welcoming foreign dignitaries, awarding university graduates with their diplomas at commencement ceremonies, and participating in charitable events.
Furthermore, the Princess Mother was devoted to the well being of the Thai people and had always been active in the promotion of public health, establishing schools, providing medical care for those who lived in rural and remote areas of the country.
The Thai people's Princess Grandmother has given the inspiration to shoot for the stars and while keeping one's feet on the ground, that is, to aspire to reach a goal that may seem out of reach while always keeping a clear perspective on the practicality of the situation.
We have been touched with the inspiration created by her tireless effort and selfless dedication to help those in need. Her courage and power of will had demonstrated that anything could be accomplished; and it is with this spirit that the Princess Mother inspires us to follow her footsteps and dedicate ourselves for the benefit of the country.
Within this section of Following the Trail of Compassion, we attempt to reflect on the touch of compassion that the Princess Mother has impressed on the hearts of all Thais.
‘MAE FAH LUANG – ROYAL MOTHER FROM THE SKY’
'Mae Fah Luang' is the name that Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother has been widely referred to for over two decades. This name originated from the northern hill tribes who would see
Her Royal Highness descend from a helicopter on her frequent visits to this area. The Princess Mother's visits was always very much welcomed as they meant generous amount of much-needed aid in terms of provision of food, clothing, and medical care.
The Princess Mother would often visit those who are in need of care and lack the physical necessities of life and those who were victims of terrible acts of nature to offer her warm comfort and encouragement. She would greet them with informality putting all the people she met at ease.
In the eyes of the hill tribe locals, the landing of the helicopter that transported the Princess Mother to remote areas was like the descent of a divine mother who has been sent from the heavens to ease their troubles. And so, she became known as Mae Fah Luang. This literally translates as "Royal (luang) Mother (mae) of the Sky (fah)". This name incorporates the love, respect, reverence, and heart-felt gratitude that the hill tribe people have for the Princess Mother.
|
|
